Written Answers Nos. 89-108
90. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the details of the planned allocation of supports for the further and higher education sector announced as part of Budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58629/21]
View answerIn Budget 2022, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science received the following additional allocations for further and higher education sectors:
1) Further education and training allocations increased from 2021 allocations by 6% to €661 million
2) Higher education allocations increased by 2021 allocations by 8% to €2,069 million
For details of the specific measures announced relating to further and higher education sectors, please see pages 59 to 63 of the published report on Budget 2022 measures: assets.gov.ie/201261/15964c4e-7f47-45e6-8654-590266615589.pdf
91. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the funding provided by his Department to support the well-being of students which is particularly important given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58575/21]
View answerThe support and wellbeing of our students is a priority for my Department, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increased stress and pressure resulting from it.
In 2020, I secured a comprehensive package of financial supports from Government for the higher education and further education and training sectors to mitigate the impact of Covid.
This package included funding of €3m to underpin wellbeing and mental health and student services in our higher education institutions (HEIs) which was in addition to the €2m funding that was allocated in Budget 2020 and funding that institutions already provide for these services.
The funding allocation in 2021 for mental health and wellbeing supports in HEIs is €5m, matching the commitment made in 2020.
In addition, in 2021/22 academic year we were acutely aware of the impact of the pandemic on students, and in that context provided for a doubling of the baseline Student Assistance Funding, bringing the total allocation to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) to €17.2m.
This includes:
- Baseline core funding allocation of €8.1m.
- €1 million ring-fenced core funding for the support of part-time students who are lone parents or members of the other access target groups identified in the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education.
- An additional €8.1m of the COVID19 return to education package 2021, doubling the baseline core funding. This was part of the additional funding package of €10 million which has been renewed for the 2021/22 academic year.
The €1.9m COVID-19 Contingency Fund will continue for the 2021/22 academic year to support access services. This is ring-fenced funding to meet the wider needs of vulnerable students and target groups (pre-entry and post-entry) beyond those already catered for though the SAF.
An allocation of €10 million has also been made to the Mitigating Against Educational Disadvantage Fund for this year. This Fund supports educationally disadvantaged learners in accessing and participating in further education and training. It also enables investment in building the digital infrastructure of FET providers and their online learning capability. This supports online delivery in a way that meets the complex needs of all FET learners, and ensures that these learners have the skills that will allow them to effectively participate in their programmes.
95. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when details will be available in relation to the provision of skills on a cross-Border basis with financial support from the PEACE PLUS Programme; if such a programme will commence in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58648/21]
View answerThe new draft PEACE PLUS programme, which has been approved by the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive through the North-South Ministerial Council, includes for the first time a provision for the delivery of skills initiatives on a cross-border basis. While final approval is awaited must be secured from the Commission, a provision of €50m has been set aside.
Once this approval has been secured, education and training providers will be invited to respond to a series of Calls for Proposals from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) to deliver on proposed actions. While no timescale has been established by SEUPB, it is likely that such Calls for Proposals will issue in Q4 2022 or Q1 2023.
96. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a commitment will be given to establish a national training scheme with established qualifications in County Wicklow to service offshore wind energy farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58620/21]
View answerThe growth of the renewable energy sector is critical to meeting our Climate Action targets and the Government are committed to ensuring that the education and training system is appropriately positioned to support the growth and the development of the skills required to support the sector into the future.
The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) Skills for the Zero Carbon Economy report was published on the 23rd November. This report sets out the demand for skilled workers required to support the growth of renewable energy generation over the coming 10 year period. Engineers, Electrical and electronics technicians, ecology and environmental experts among others will be required to support the development of this vital element of Ireland's move to a Zero Carbon Economy.
The national skills infrastructure provides a robust framework to support industry to meet skills needs. While a structured response to the specific skills identified in the newly published report will be delivered over the coming period, the education and training sector is already working collaboratively with the wind industry to deliver on required skills needs across both further and higher education institutions.
Under Budget 2022, a total investment of €78 million for reskilling and upskilling was provided including a €22 million Green Skills Action programme and continued investment in supporting businesses. Ireland’s recent Recovery and Resilience Plan included SOLAS’s Recovery Skills Response Programme will see a range of additional educational and training programmes rolled out as part of the Skills to Compete and the establishment of the SOLAS Green Skills Action programme focusing on providing training to address climate and low carbon economy issues. This approach will span all of Ireland, including the South East.
There are a number of Wind Energy Schemes currently established nationwide. Kerry Education and Training Board offer a full suite of training schemes such as the Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician traineeship which was established in 2014. This traineeship typically lasts 39 weeks and includes a minimum of 30 percent on-the-job training. Upon completion, trainees may receive a City and Guilds Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Electrical Power Engineering, with high placement rates for graduate trainees.
Kerry ETB has also developed the Wind Turbine Maintenance apprenticeship programme which was submitted to Quality and Qualifications Ireland in June of this year for validation at level 6 NFQ. The apprenticeship is expected to commence in Q1, 2022, subject to completion of validation.
The Green Tech Skillnet also provides training opportunities in wind energy both for those working in the industry and for people looking to enter the wind industry. The Green Tech Skillnet is an enterprise-led network facilitating the workforce and development needs of the Irish renewable energy industry. Green Tech Skillnet is promoted by Wind Energy Ireland (WEI), the representative body for the Irish wind industry, working to promote wind energy as an essential, economical and environmentally friendly part of the country’s low-carbon energy future. In 2020, Green Tech Skillnet supported over 180 companies and provided upskilling to over 600 employed trainees through 1,700 training days in courses that include –
- Introduction to Wind
- Advanced Composite Wind Turbine Blade Repair
- The Clean Energy Package Review and Risk Assessment and,
- Wind Turbine Technician.
Green Tech Skillnet also delivers programmes through the Skills Connect initiative to support jobseekers seeking to enter the renewable sector which includes a wind turbine technician programme.
At higher education level, 14 courses in renewable energy have been established under Springboard+ 2021. Under HCI Pillar 1, there are 5 courses in or related to renewable energy and 2 under HCI Pillar 2. HCI Pillar 3, Innovation and Agility has two key areas of focus – innovation in modes and methods of delivery and an agility fund. There are 17 projects in or related to renewable energy within this stream, aiming to ensure that courses in areas of skills needs demonstrate innovative methods of teaching and delivery.
The expansion of education and training delivery to support the skills required to support the growth of the offshore wind energy sector will be determined in a structured manner under the skills infrastructure mechanism.
97. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he will publish the economic evaluation of the Cassells Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58503/21]
View answerMy Department's Statement of Strategy, which I published on 8 March last, contains a commitment to put in place a sustainable funding model for the higher education. This is essential in ensuring that our higher education institutions can effectively meet high standards of quality and performance, and achieve critical outcomes for our economy and society.
The report referred to in the Deputy's question, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the funding options presented in the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education (2016), was commissioned under the European Commission's Structural Reform Support Programme in November 2019. The final report deliverable was agreed between the Commission (DG Reform) and it's consultants at the end of May 2021.
My Department has commenced its examination of the report's analysis, findings, conclusions and recommendations in order to develop proposals to present to Government to seek it’s support to a sustainable future funding model and transformed FET and HE sector as contained in the Statement of Strategy. Once this examination is concluded the report will be submitted to Government for consideration in advance of its publication (pending agreement with the European Commission as the contracting authority).
I have also been engaging with Government colleagues in relation to future funding for this sector as we work towards Government consideration of the report and decision on the key issues.
In terms of funding, in advance of and since the publication of the 2016 it is important to note that significant programme of re-investment in higher education has been implemented. Since 2015 annual expenditure allocated to higher education has increased by more than 40%. In 2022 this allocation will be in excess of €2billion.
This significant allocation of public resources is a clear demonstration of the Government's commitment to meeting the funding needs of the higher education sector.
99. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the strategies to encourage and support students of DEIS schools to access third-level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58627/21]
View answerInclusion is one of the core strategic goals for my Department. My ambition is to ensure that we provide supports and opportunities for learning to all. This means recognising the needs of vulnerable learners, the most marginalised and those with special and additional needs.
HEA Student Record System (SRS) data shows that in 2019/20, 10% of new entrants came from DEIS Schools. There is already extensive engagement between Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and DEIS schools. In an analysis carried out by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) at the start of the year, 98% of post-primary DEIS schools had links or engagement with a HEI.
My Department provides funding to seven Special Disadvantage Initiatives located in areas of socio-economic disadvantage in Dublin and Limerick cities. These projects specifically target children and young people in primary and post primary DEIS schools who are generally at risk of not reaching their full academic potential. They also seek to direct further targeted activities at children and young people who demonstrate high academic potential but may be at risk of not progressing to further or higher education for a variety of reasons.
Engagement with DEIS schools also features in Strand 3 of the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH). PATH 3 supports HEI capacity in developing regional and community partnership strategies (including with DEIS schools) for increasing access to higher education by specified groups. A number of projects approved under PATH 3, including under the recent extension of a funding for another three years, include engagement with local DEIS schools. Similarly, a number of projects supported under Strand 1 of PATH, which is committed to increasing the diversity of initial teacher education for new entrants, involve engagement with DEIS schools. For example, several Centres collaborate with DEIS schools in mentoring programmes to improve the reach of access to higher education and in particular, access to initial teacher education. The PATH 2 bursaries now with three tiers of support take a wider range of indicators into consideration and students from DEIS schools can feature among the recipients.
Work on the development of the next National Access Plan (NAP) 2022 - 2026 is currently underway. Colleagues in my Department are working closely with the HEA on the development of the new Plan with the intention of publishing the plan in Q1 of 2022. I am delighted to have recently announced additional funding of €5m in 2022 to support the development of the new National Access Plan which I see as being more student centred, targeting specific under-represented groups and a move beyond the singular focus on access to HE with a strong focus on pathways. Entry to higher education for students attending DEIS schools will be included as a KPI in the New Plan.
101. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider protecting the craft apprenticeship model as we move to a unitary system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58644/21]
View answerA clear objective of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is that there will be a single apprenticeship system underpinned by a clear governance framework with strong stakeholder input.
From consultation with stakeholders, the differences between craft and consortia-led apprenticeships in terms of oversight, delivery and funding has led to a lack of clarity for employers and education and training providers, and to a lesser extent learners, about apprenticeship. It is clear that unless these issues are tackled by moving to a single apprenticeship system, the potential to firmly embed apprenticeship as an attractive and sought-after mode of work based learning will be severely constrained in the years ahead.
The current structures have been subject to two major shocks within the past 20 years. Firstly the collapse of the housing market in 2007 and its impact on craft apprenticeship and secondly the COVID pandemic in 2020 impacting on craft and post 2016 apprenticeships. On both occasions, the partners in the education and training sector have come together to innovate and respond to the challenges faced by the system. On both occasions there have been learnings in relation to the ability of both craft and consortia apprenticeship operating structures to support the rapid change necessary to meet unforeseen challenges.
The single apprenticeship system builds on this, in aiming to deliver a structure which provides for local innovation combined with strong national level supports and coordination of the apprenticeship sector. Migrating the existing structures to the single system will be planned in collaboration with system stakeholders and, for craft apprenticeship, will take place over the full duration of the Action Plan.
103. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress he is making to ensure that Ireland continues to have a supply of quality engineering graduates to meet its future skills needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58608/21]
View answerIreland has an advanced system of skills provision across Further and Higher Education, lifelong learning and human capital development. Skills provision is underpinned by the framework of the National Skills Strategy, which is agile and responsive to changes in the world of work in order to address evolving skills needs. This system is designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified higher education graduates and apprentices, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population more generally with the skills and capacity to meet these demands.
The number of students enrolled in higher education courses in engineering, manufacturing and construction has increased by 19% since 2014, rising from 23,400 to 27,900. The annual number of graduates from these courses has increased by 29.3%, from 6,900 to 8,900. These figures are expected to increase further over the coming years.
The mainstream supply of graduates is supplemented with more targeted initiatives designed to meet specific skills needs. The two key national targeted initiatives in the higher education system are Springboard+ and the Human Capital Initiative. Springboard+ 2021 was launched on 14th June 2021 and there are 46 Springboard+ 2021 courses in engineering with 1,657 places.
Apprenticeships are another key component of our pipeline of skilled engineers. There are currently 14 apprenticeships available in engineering fields, ranging from Level 5 to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications. As of October 2021 there were 2,697 apprentices registered on these programmes, 733 of which were newly registered this year. There are a further four apprenticeships in the engineering sector under development.
My Department will continue working with enterprise agencies and industry groups, as well as the higher education institutions, to assess the future demand for higher education graduates and apprentices in engineering as well as our ability to meet this demand, and ensure we are prepared for the challenges ahead.
104. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the efforts that are being made to address the backlog of apprentices who are waiting to complete block release training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58619/21]
View answerCraft apprenticeships account for 25 of the 62 existing available apprenticeship programmes. Given the practical nature of off-the-job training for craft apprentices, the COVID-related shutdown of on-site learning activity in 2020 and 2021 had a significant impact on the ability of craft apprentices to access off-the-job training.
These measures have resulted in waiting lists for apprentices wishing to progress to off-the-job phases of their training. At the end of October over 10,300 craft apprentices were waiting for an off-the-job training space. Almost 70% of these were in one of three apprenticeships: Electrical, Plumbing and Carpentry & Joinery.
Off-the-job training for craft apprenticeships generally takes place in three phases – Phase 2 is 22 weeks delivered in an ETB Training Centre, with Phases 4 and 6 each of between 10-12 weeks in duration are delivered in IoTs or Technological Universities.
The following measures have been put in places to increase capacity to address the waiting lists:-
- €20m capital funding has been allocated to SOLAS and the HEA to provide additional structural capacity within Training Centres and IoTs/Technological Universities. These places began to come on stream in September 2021, with 2,500 apprentices starting phases 4 or 6 compared to 2,100 in January 2020 (pre-COVID).
- As from September 2021 classes have returned to full capacity of 14-16 apprentices per class, rather than the 50% capacity which had been in place during 2020 and until Q3, 2021 under COVID-19 distancing requirements.
- The structure of Phase 2 delivery in the three most impacted apprenticeships is being reformed, with the institutions and partners working together to deliver an innovative teaching response to reduce waiting lists. On-site teaching will be reduced to 18 weeks of practical work, with theory elements of the Phase delivered around the off-the-job training. This will allow for a third intake of Phase 2 apprentices providing up to a 50% increase in availability of Phase 2 places annually.
- €17m targeted funding has been provided for additional craft apprenticeship classes in 2022 across the further and higher education sectors.
- A significant recruitment campaign is under way to deliver the additional staffing to support the above measures.
- Waiting lists are continually monitored and additional targeted measures will be introduced to ensure that craft apprentices impacted by these delays are enabled to qualify from their apprenticeship as quickly as possible.
Subject to continued access to workshops and training facilities in addition to the rollout of additional places, it is expected that the majority of craft apprentices waiting for off-the-job training for phases 4 and 6 will be cleared by Easter 2021, with phase 2 waiting lists cleared by year-end 2022.
105. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will review the criteria to establish a SUSI applicant’s independence from their parents in cases in which the applicant is under 23 years of age and is living independently from their parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58612/21]
View answerFor student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, he/she would be assessed as a dependent student, i.e. assessed with reference to parental income and address.
However, there are points at which a student may reclassify from a dependent student to an independent student. These are where he/she:
- Progresses from further education to higher education.
- Is returning following a 3 year break in studies.
- Is returning as a "second chance" student after a five year break in studies.
The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).
Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student. The relevant information, including details of parental income, would be required by SUSI to determine grant eligibility as a dependent student.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI and subsequently to the Student Grants Appeals Board within the statutory timeframes.
Further information regarding class of applicant (independent or dependent) and the types of documentation accepted as evidence of living independently from parents is available from SUSI’s website: susi.ie/eligibility/applicant-class/
The existing rules reflect the fact that very significant numbers of third-level students move out of home to go to college and continue to be supported by their parents, where their parents have sufficient means, while in full-time education.
In terms of my overall priorities in respect of any amendments to the Student Grant Scheme a review is currently ongoing. I am awaiting the finalised report of the review of the Student Grant Scheme. This will be critical in informing decision-making in future Estimates processes about changes to the rates and thresholds, as well as informing policy priorities and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.
106. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will examine the challenges facing students of psychology who need to study for up to eight years before they are fully qualified for many disciplines within psychology; if he will consider a particular subvention for these students considering the urgent need for psychologists in both the health and education systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58589/21]
View answerSupporting the Department of Health with their health workforce planning work, and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of qualified healthcare workers within Ireland, is a major priority for my Department.
The Student Grant Scheme (SUSI) is the principal financial support provided to students, and the Programme for Government contains commitments to review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports and this commenced in March of this year and is due to be completed shortly. In addition, Budget 2021 provided for enhanced postgraduate supports from the current 2021/22 academic year, and an additional €15m was secured in Budget 2022 to enhance the existing financial supports under the Student Grant Scheme. Other supports that are available through the Department of Further & Higher Education Research & Innovation are the Student Assistance Fund, the Fund for Students with a Disability and a Student Support Scheme which provides supports for students who are in the international protection system. A range of targeted measures for underrepresented groups also exist in the PATH programme.
The National Health and Social Care Professions Office in the HSE have advised me that the Psychology Project Team developed a report which recommended the development of a workforce plan for psychology and the creation of a National Psychology Placement Office which has yet to be established. Implementation of the recommendations in this report is being considered by the HSE in the context of resource requirements and the ongoing estimates process. The implementation of the report’s recommendations and the creation of a National Psychology Placement Office are matters for the HSE.
107. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to reform the CAO process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58635/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the CAO is a company whose membership is representative of the higher education sector with the participating institutions retaining full control over their admission policies and admission decisions.
Against that background, the developments to the CAO website for the 2022 application process are particularly welcome. A key goal for my Department is to enhance the visibility of further education and training (FET) and apprenticeship options for school leavers and the changes to allow school leavers explore options across the third level system, whether in higher education, further education or apprenticeship options, from the CAO website is a key development.
This initiative comes from the collaboration of a working group comprising representatives of SOLAS, the CAO, ETBI and the ETBs. Within the FET sector, a central portal has been developed to enable learners to apply for their chosen courses, which have been updated in terms of course naming conventions and learner requirements. This is being managed through FETCH / PLSS (which is a central application system for FET courses delivered through Education and Training Boards throughout the country).? Technical experts from SOLAS and the CAO are working together to ensure that technology developed for FET in the short-term aligns with CAO systems to enable integration over time.
The further development and expansion of the CAO FET offers to include wider options will build on the experience of the 2022 application process.
For apprenticeship options, students must first be hired by an approved apprentice employer. There is a link to a dedicated page on the apprenticeship website which provides information on how to find an apprenticeship and links to available apprenticeship employment opportunities. There is also a freephone number available - 1800 794 487 for guidance on apprenticeships which is open 12pm-6pm Monday-Friday.
It is my understanding that the NCCA’s Advisory Report on Senior Cycle Reform has been submitted to the Department of Education for consideration and is due to be published in the coming weeks. I will consider any impact the proposals in this report may have on educational pathways and the transition to further and higher education.
108. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress made under the Future FET: Transforming Learning 2020-2024 strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58638/21]
View answerThe National FET Strategy Future FET, Transforming Learning 2020-2024 launched in July 2020 concentrates on the three core pillars of building skills, fostering inclusion, and facilitating pathways to deliver a more strategic and integrated FET system.
Significant progress has been made to date across the three pillars. With regard to Building Skills, there has been a sizable increase in the number of upskilling and reskilling opportunities made available through Skills to Advance, focussed on upskilling for those in employment, and Skills to Compete , a key SOLAS initiative to support those who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 to re-enter the workforce, and through the expansion of eCollege. Very significantly, the new Action Plan for Apprenticeships launched earlier this year sets a target of 10,000 new apprentices registering every year by 2025.
In the area of fostering inclusion, there have been two significant developments, namely the development of the Framework for Universal Design for Learning in FET and the launch and publication of the new 10 year adult literacy, numeracy and digital literacy strategy, Adult Literacy for Life. Both developments are significant and will help to enable every citizen to participate fully in society.
Turning to Creating Pathways, the enhancement of the CAO website for the 2022 CAO application process by the inclusion of links to information on, and applications for, FET programmes and to Apprenticeship information and employment opportunities is significant in enhancing the visibility of FET and apprenticeship options for school leavers.
Progress has also been made in the enabling themes identified in the FET Strategy - staffing, structures and capabilities, learner performance centred, digital transformation and capital infrastructure. The FET strategy will underpin the development of new strategic performance agreements between SOLAS and each of the ETBs for the next three years, from 2022-2024 and the provision in Budget 2022 will support building the required capacity within the ETBs.
